Fables de la Fontaine. Book in Progress (post 16)

The fourth illustration is finished!

Now I'm half way to the end, 4 more illustrations in 2 more week. Yay!!

And of course, the book cover too, which will be like the icing on the cake :)

I think that the lion and the mouse have good chemistry. It's hard to see the mouse's smile here because this picture on the blog is about half the size of the actual book.

Since the mouse is so tiny I had to make it as simple as possible in light and bright colors to help him stand from the dark background. I didn't want him to get lost in the whole picture. Can you see him well? I also left the background as clear as possible to avoid distractions around him.

Did you notice that the curtains are like nets? The mouse saves the lion from the net that he gets caught in. I wanted to represent the net but not on the lion because it would have been too complicated technically for Julia, (my paper engineer) so I thought: Why not making the curtains look like nets?

In another net, I mean note :), today we're busy with Diego, he has some evaluation to go through. It's very important because depending on the results he will get a kind of therapy that we have been looking forward to provide him with. More details in the future. 

I wish you a great weekend!!!

I will see you on monday again.

Elsita :)

BUT I HAVE A QUESTION before I go: Do you have any recommendation for this book cover? Any idea? My editor gave me a very good one but I would love to hear from you. I want the cover to be really special. Maybe you have an idea that we haven't thought about yet.

 

Comments

[Melissa Crowe]

I remember a beautiful illustration commemorating the death of Walt Disney--all his characters were drawn together; it would be really neat to do the cover that way, all the books characters together!

[Bhavna]

Hi Elsita - I love the curtains - great idea about using the net from the story for this. For the cover - how about all the characters meeting for a meal around the beautiful spread you made for the 2 mice story.

[Shelley Noble]

Another winner. I love hearing your thoughts behind your design choices, like making the mouse brightly-colored because he's small, etc.

I agree with your other guests here, a grouping of all the characters (ideally the same papercuts as photographed for the illustrations so you wouldn't have to cut another) perhaps around a table or some other unifying element as an invitation to the marvelous tales inside.

[Minka/Mindy]

I love this frame. Perhaps your cover could play upon the variety of stories, frames, curtains.

[Judy]

The fantasy grows! Beautiful illustrations! My thought on the cover is a sculptural embossed stage possibly all in white and perhaps all of the characters in miniature - very very tiny - in color in a pattern in the stage. I agree with the comments above that it would be great to somehow show all of the characters together. Title of the book would be the center piece of the stage in a wonderful type face.

[Gina Purlia Johnson]

Hmmm, I love the above ideas BUT a part of me wants to only see a tiny glimpse of the inside illustrations. Being teased with just a tiny hint of what is to come would entice me to keep delving in to each unique story/illustration. But that's just me as I like to be surprised!!<3

[CatherineinFrance]

La Fontaine reading out loud to the animals listening in a circle in front of him (we would just see their backs).He would wear one of those big curly 17th century wigs, of course.

[Claudia Liliana/rasamalai]

He he he! :) I like the last two suggestions!
I'm thinking you've already made so many wonderful book covers already!
I like books to look like important books on the outside. I'd like to see one of those rich thick paper textures for a back ground, that would make me want to admire it and hold it, and perhaps just have a paper cut frame similar to the one you made for Eva Luna that only has symbols that pertain to the story but doesn't give it out.
Since the fables are from the 17th century I guess making it look like a 17th century book would be awesome! :D
Elsita, I hope everything goes as your husband and you are hoping it does at your son's appointment! I will be thinking of you all and sending you good energy <3
The net as curtains are so very clever!
The little mouse I would have sat him a little bit further up. But that's just me, and I'm afraid I fall into clichés sometimes!
Hugs and thank you so much! :)

[Elsita :)]

Thank you, thank you so much for the ideas!
I really appreciate them!

Oh Claudia!
How much I would love to place the little mouse higher as well. I wanted him to be sitting right on the lion's back. But for the machine die-cut process it's better to expose only his head out of the lion's body as a more solid piece. His arms and hands are too small for die-cutting, the details are too small and the machine cuts are not 100% accurate so we could end up cutting part of the mouse, that could kill him :o.
He's standing a little bit lower only for technical reasons, I talked to him and I think he understood :)
(In the final the book the lion and the mouse will be cut as a single piece)

[Maiz]

I would like a beautiful stage with ornate curtains on the cover. The curtains would be closed, except for a little fox and mouse peeking out. I'd like the animals to have a "community theater just before the show" vibe, but the rest of the cover to look like a highbrow 17th century book of fables.

[Elsita :)]

I love your idea Maiz, about the closed curtain and the fox and the mouse peeking out :) So cute!
There are so many ways to make that cover! I just want to make it beautiful, I will really do my best!

[Margaret Oomen]

the net curtain was the first thing I noticed because it reminds me of crochet.
I am sure you already have amazing ideas for the cover and we can't come close to your creativity my friend.
I was thinking of some of your animal characters reading the book of fables to their children. I see fables and certainly an exquisite book like this as being a family affair, being passes down from generation to generation.

[Claudia Liliana/rasamalai]

I think Maiz's idea for the cover is brilliant!!!
And now I understand about the mouse!
I came over to read if there are news about your son :)

[Winkie Fordney]

The book cover might depict mystery. Only showing parts of the animal characters so that one has to read the book to uncover the mysteries of the stories or fables. Keep it simple

[Colleen (bcharmer)]

I love Catherine's idea of having LaFontaine reading to the animals. But I also like the idea of all of the characters on stage to take a bow (like at the end of the play). But maybe that would be better for the back side of the book!

I love your mouse and lion together, and the curtains are perfect. One of the things that I love about these illustrations is that they invite the reader to look more closely because of all of the detail. I think that the reader will discover more and more parts of the story each time that they look at the pictures. So exciting!

My fingers are crossed that Diego's evaluation goes well.

[diana]

Maybe all the characters (heads/busts) in a kind of picture wall, each in their own, fitting frame. You could just cut their profiles in black or grey (as if they were shadowpuppets).

Anyway, I'm sure you'll come up with a cover as delightful as all the illustrations you made for the inside.

Good luck, also for Diego!

[Frances Tyrrell]

I am so enjoying watching this book come alive, cut by cut and page by page. You are putting it together so beautifully as well as quickly!
s to the cover, book designers have always asked me to showcase one character, full view, with a friendly face, and some background activity that hints at the story without giving it all away.
You have such excellent instincts, this book is sure to be a winner.

[ignacio fernandez]

thanks for giving a peek at the wonderful work you're doing on the book.
I am constantly amazed with your talent and the qualities you have as a person.
love you

[elle gardens]

Have you asked Diego and your daughter? Would be interested in their feedback.

[Lesley]

I agree with Judy - whatever the design you decide to go with, I'd like to see it embossed to balance all the texture inside!

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